Picture frame fastener



Nov. 25, 1989 N. J. DAMATO 3,479,761

PICTURE FRAME FASTENER Filed March 28, 1968 Int en lbr:

United States Patent 3,479,761 PICTURE FRAME FASTENER Nicholas J.DAmato, 2840 Braidwood Road, Richmond, Va. 23225 Filed Mar. 28, 1968,Ser. No. 716,971 Int. Cl. G09f 1/12 11.5. Cl. 40-156 8 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A fastener for retaining a canvas stretcher frame in arabbeted seat of a picture frame. The fastener consists of an elongatedflexible member provided at longitudinally spaced points with a pair ofpronged elements which project laterally in opposite directions from theflexible member. One of the pronged elements is secured in the seat ofthe picture frame, with the flexible member projecting from the seatbehind the stretcher frame, and the other pronged element is secured tothe stretcher frame to hold the latter in the picture frame seat. An endportion of the flexible member extends beyond the element secured to thestretcher frame and affords a finger-piece.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in picture frames,and in particular the invention concerns itself with an improvedfastener which may be quickly and easily employed for holding a canvasstretcher frame in a rabbeted seat of a picture frame.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a fastenerwhich is very simple in construction, which may be readily installed orremoved, which dependably holds the picture frame and the stretcherframe in assembled relation, and which lends itself to convenient andeconomical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention will be understood from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whereinlike characters of reference are used to designate like parts, andwherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing the back of a canvas stretcher frameheld in a picture frame by fasteners of the invention, the picture framebeing partially broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view, taken substantiallyin the plane of the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the fasteners.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeraldesignates a conventional stretcher frame having a canvas 11 stretchedthereover, while 12 designates a conventional picture frame providedwith a rabbeted seat 13 in which the stretcher frame 10 is to bemounted. Mounting of the stretcher frame in the seat of the pictureframe is accomplished by a plurality of perimetrically spaced fasteners14 of the invention, one of such fasteners now being described in detailwith reference to FIG. 3.

The fastener 14 comprises an elongated flexible member 15 whichpreferably although not necessarily consists of a length of braided wiresuch as is commonly used for picture hanging. A pair of pronged elements16, 17 are provided at longitudinally spaced points on the flexiblemember 15 and project laterally in relatively opposite directionstherefrom, as will be clearly apparent. The pronged elements 16, 17 haveenlarged heads and, for all practical purposes, they may be constitutedby ordinary tacks or thumb tacks. In order to secure the "ice elements16, 17 to the flexible member 15, the wire strands which comprise themember 15 are flattened and bonded together as well as to the elements16, 17, as for example by soldering as indicated at 18.

One end portion of the flexible member 15 extends beyond the prongedelement 17 and provides a fingerpiece 19 which may be in the form of aloop or eye as shown, or of any other suitable configuration.

When the invention is placed in use, several of the fasteners 14 areemployed at perimetrically spaced points on the picture frame. Beforethe stretcher frame is installed in the picture frame, the prongedelement 16 of each fastener is secured in the rabbeted seat 13 of thepicture frame by being pressed into the inwardly facing edge 13a of theseat, as distinguished from the rearwardly facing edge 1312 whichprovides an abutment shoulder for the stretcher frame. The flexiblemembers 15 of the several fasteners are permitted to project outwardlyfrom the picture frame seat 13 and the stretcher frame 10 (including thecanvas 11) is placed within the picture frame seat. The projectingmembers 15 of the fasteners are then brought behind the stretcher framewith the fastener elements 17 being pressed into the stretcher frame asshown in FIG. 2, so that the fasteners thus hold the picture frame andthe stretcher frame in assembled relation. Of course, the finger-pieces19 are left protruding inwardly behind the stretcher frame and if at anytime it is desired to remove the stretcher frame from the picture frame,the finger-pieces 19 of the fasteners are simply pulled in a rearwarddirection so as to withdraw the fastener elements 17 from the frame 10,whereupon the stretcher frame 10 may be readily separated from thepicture frame 12.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferredembodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparentto those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly,it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and variousmodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a picture frame having a rabbeted seat, a canvasstretcher frame mounted in said seat, and a plurality of perimetricallyspaced fasteners holding said picture frame and said stretcher frame inassembled relation, each of said fasteners comprising an elongatedflexible member and a pair of pronged elements provided atlongitudinally spaced points on said member and projecting laterallytherefrom in relatively opposite directions, one of said prongedelements being secured in said rabbeted seat of the picture frame withsaid flexible member projecting outwardly from the seat behind saidstretcher frame, and the other of said pronged elements being secured tothe stretcher frame.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the rabbeted seat ofsaid picture frame has a rearwardly facing edge providing an abutmentshoulder for said stretcher frame and also has an inwardly facing edgead jacent the outer marginal edge of the stretcher frame, said one ofsaid pronged elements being secured to the inwardly facing edge of saidseat.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible memberhas an end portion extending beyond said other of said pronged elementsand constituting a finger-piece.

4. A fastener for holding a picture frame and a canvas stretcher framein assembled relation, said fastener comprising an elongated flexiblemember and a pair of pronged elements provided at longitudinally spacedpoints on said member and projecting laterally therefrom in relativelyopposite directions, said pronged elements being adapted to be securedto a picture frame and to a stretcher frame respectively;

5. The fastener as defined in claim 4 wherein said flexible member hasan end portion extending beyond one of said pronged elements andconstituting a fingerpiece.

6. The fastener as defined in claim 4 wherein said flexible membercomprises a length of braided wire.

7. The fastener as defined in claim 6 wherein strands of said braidedwire adjacent said pronged elements are bonded together and to saidelements whereby to secure the elementsto the wire.

4. 8. The fastener as defined in claim 4 wherein said pronged elementsare provided with enlarged heads.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 374,645 12/1887 Watkins 1 40156481,117 8/1892 Naegele 40-456 1,470,866 10/1923 Newhouse 40156 2,489,47711/1946 Brecher 40156 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. I.CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner

